Do you believe in Chinese Horoscope?

As far as horoscope goes, I am a real fan, not as a superstition, but as a psychological /behavioural insight into human characters/personality.

I remember my mother giving me a thick book about Western horoscope and I was so excited it became my bedtime storybook (I was maybe prepubescent that time), I swear I can memorise all the horoscope dates, details, you name it, I have the book by heart. I am a Libran, and I do believe the description of people sharing my horoscope - good looking (ahem), narcissistic (guilty as charged), indecisive (yup, back when I was younger, I'd like to think that the older me has matured and I am more decisive now) and sociable (yup!). Many more characteristics, but these are the prominent ones in me, both good and bad.

Anyway, the question now is, do you believe in Chinese Horoscope?

The Chinese (and Indian) had a long affinity with horoscope. From the time and hour of your birth according the respective Calendar (different from Gregorian calendar we have), we can have our ba (eight) zhi (words) calculated based on a Book of Thousand years, seriously, this book is like a 'Bible' of sorts for Chinese astrologer, which is published year by year, with all the 'fates' of the people 'determined' according to their birth dates/hours/name. Yup, their Chinese name, but that is another story.

I am not Chinese-educated, hence I cannot provide the Chinese characters here, I can however, share with you my fascination with Chinese horoscope.

There are 12 animal zodiacs (one for each year = which will repeat the moment a dozen years is up) according to the Chinese horoscope. The first animal is the Rat, followed by the Bull, Tiger, Rabbit/Hare, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep/Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Boar/Pig. (hence the popular saying for some Chinese that the loser/the last person is a pig/holding the pig tail)

The thing is, even though it can be loosely based on the Gregorian Year, the "Chinese New Year" which usually falls in between January to February every year, signifies a new year, and only those who are born after the "Li Chun" (Pronounced Lee Choon) AFTER Chinese New Year will be considered belonging to the new year's horoscope.

Example: Those born in 1980, 1992, 2004 are all considered to belong to the Monkey zodiac, however, those who are born before the first day of the Chinese Lunar calendar will be considered a 'Sheep' instead, some even go to the extent of determining the "Li Chun", (Pronounced Lee Choon) where it is a day in spring when the eggs can literally be upright, unassisted. Read about it on wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_of_Li_Chun

Hocus pocus or otherwise, as long as it is harmless, no harm believing in it right?

My philosophy is that half believe, half treat is a guideline in life and don't be too immersed in the belief, serve as a guide more than superstition.

These are some of the pix I snapped at the Taiwan airport earlier this year (April 2012).

Oh, yeah, you guessed right (if you haven't guessed already), I am a Monkey (in every sense). Playful, sociable, intelligent (ahem), oh, I just love horoscopes! Don't get me started on Kabalah and Numerology or even Tarot, let's leave those for another blogpost shall we?

In the meantime, Happy Friday everyone! TGIF!!!